The Great Doritos Hunt
by Cousin Raven
Summary: Natalie gets a craving.


From: Cousin Raven  To: Cousin Raven  Subject: Doritos Date: Friday, June 04, 1999 8:13 AM 

I apologize in advance; it seems I was on a Doritos binge when I wrote this. 

The Great Doritos Hunt 

Natalie stared at the report in her hands without seeing it. Her stomach rumbled. She reached over and dug into her purse for some change. She counted aloud..."25, 50, 55, 65, 75 cents. That's it...well, it'd better be enough." She got up and headed down the hall to the vending machine. Looking everything over, she decided the only thing she wanted was the Doritos. She put her money in and pressed the buttons. The machine made a few beeps. She read the digital display. "Check price." She looked up at the only appetizing thing in the machine. 80 Cents. She could've screamed. She clenched her fists and let out a silent yell. She took a deep breath and started to scan the floor. There it was, just to the side of the machine. A nickel. She couldn't believe it. With a happy whoop, she put the nickel in and pushed the button again. The machine whirred, and her Doritos were dispensed. Happily, she picked up the bag, and whistled to herself down the hall. 

Back at her desk, she tore into the bag with relish. 

"Hey, Nat!" Nat looked up from her desk with a satisfied smile. The empty bag of Doritos lay on her desk. The odor from the bag wafted up and struck Nick full force. "Ugh...garlic!" 

Nat blanched and turned the bag over to read the ingredients. There it was, garlic powder. It was so little; it shouldn't affect him though. She crumpled the bag and tossed it in the garbage. _Must remember not to get those anymore...damn. _ 

Nick still seemed a little halting, but he gave her his best smile. "Hey Nat, I was hoping we could get together for some movies tomorrow night...since I'm off, and you've got more than enough sick days accrued...what do you say?" He cringed a bit at the smell of garlic on her breath. _What did these mortals see in those things? _ 

"Sure, Nick, provided I can get out of here..." just as she spoke, two orderlies wheeled a gurney in with a deep black body bag on it. 

"Oh, oh," Nick said, "I'd better go before I foul up the doctor's concentration...see you tomorrow night, Nat?" 

She looked at the stiff and sighed. "Yeah, Nick, I'll try." The orderlies left, looking decidedly zombie-like. She didn't take time to think about the look in their eyes. _It was going to be a long night. _ she thought. 

Nick left and she watched him go with a wistful air. He had it all. She just wanted him. She sighed. Work wasn't going to get done by watching it cool. She got up and approached the body bag. 

Seeing this body bag for some reason reminded her of the night they brought Nick in. She'd been real busy that night too. She remembered it with fondness as she unzipped the body bag. 

A pale man with almost white hair and a crew cut looked up at her from the bag. "Good evening, Doctor, am I to assume I'm not intruding?" 

She jumped and held her head to keep herself steady, to not appear too surprised. "Lacroix, what do you want now? Why are you in my body bag?" 

"My dear," Lacroix said, "I am here for you..." He reached up and pulled her head down toward him faster than she could pull away. His fangs descended and he bit her throat deeply. Natalie inhaled sharply at the pain of it, but didn't have time to consider it before he sent her careening away from him. He sat up from the body bag and spat her blood to the floor. "Hells Bells, how do you mortals eat that stuff..." He spat more to get the vile taste of garlic from his mouth. The skin around his mouth had reddened a bit, and was starting to look like a minor sunburn. Natalie wanted to laugh, but dared not. 

Lacroix rushed up to her and held her in his gaze. <> "Listen to me...I was never here...what you have on your throat is an insect bite...you will forget this entire night......and you will never eat Doritos again..." 

Natalie's head swooned in the throws of the whammy..."never again..." she echoed. 

"Good, Doctor." There was a sound of displaced air, and Lacroix was gone. After a few minutes, Natalie looked around. He was indeed gone. She smiled. _It was so interesting being a resistor. _ She thought as she went to her purse to find 80 more cents. She hummed quietly to herself down the hall. 

The Doritos fell out of the machine quickly, causing an eager smile on Natalie's lips. "I will win, Lacroix." she said to no one as she reached for the bag. _I will fight you for him until the end of time. _ 


End file.
